Official seeks to shut off red light cameras

Published: Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at 2:26 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at 2:26 p.m.

After spending the last few years tinkering with Florida's red light camera law to make the system more fair, state Sen. Jeff Brandes is giving up and calling for its abolishment.

But to do it, the St. Petersburg Republican is going to have to fight a Bradenton widow who pushed for the state law after her husband was killed by a driver who ran a Manatee County red light.

Brandes had recently advocated a study to assess the cameras' effect on reducing accidents. But on Wednesday, Brandes changed course and decided to try to kill the law created in 2010 authorizing counties and cities to install the traffic cameras.

He has filed Senate Bill 144, which would repeal the law. State Rep. Frank Artiles, R-Miami, is expected to file a companion bill in the House.

“We have had red light cameras in Florida for over three years. They were initially sold as safety devices, but I have come to firmly believe that they are now being used as backdoor tax increases,” Brandes said in a statement. “We have seen municipalities that have installed these devices shorten yellow light times and set arbitrary standards on right-turn-on-red violations. I believe cities will continue to install these devices if left unchecked.”

Lawmakers made several changes in the existing red-light camera law this year. Since July 1, the modified law precludes motorists from being cited for a right-turn violation if they stop — even if it is beyond the stop line.

Another provision gives motorists more time to deal with the initial notice of violation, increasing it to 60 days from 30 days. The law also requires cities and counties to create an administrative appeals process for motorists who contest the initial red-light camera violations.

Nevertheless, the devices remain controversial. More than 70 local governments, including the cities of Sarasota and Bradenton and Manatee County, use the devices and collected $46 million in revenue in the last full budget year.

Florida's red-light camera law is named after Mark Wandall, a Manatee County man killed when a motorist ran a red light in October 2003.

Melissa Wandall said she would fight any repeal effort. She said she would go to Tallahassee to support the law, contending the cameras have changed driving behavior and made intersections safer.

For five years, Wandall and then-state Rep. Ron Reagan, R-Bradenton, pushed the law authorizing the cameras, which allow local governments to ticket motorists photographed running red lights. Wandall said that in addition to trying to stop red-light runners, the legislation included provisions to assure a portion of the proceeds from tickets go toward trauma centers and for brain and spinal cord injury research.

More than $15 million from red light camera tickets has gone to hospital trauma centers and more than $3 million to the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.

Wandall said her goal was to make sure no family goes through what hers endured. “Somebody did have to die to have those cameras to be installed,” Wandall said.

<p>After spending the last few years tinkering with Florida's red light camera law to make the system more fair, state Sen. Jeff Brandes is giving up and calling for its abolishment.</p><p>But to do it, the St. Petersburg Republican is going to have to fight a Bradenton widow who pushed for the state law after her husband was killed by a driver who ran a Manatee County red light.</p><p>Brandes had recently advocated a study to assess the cameras' effect on reducing accidents. But on Wednesday, Brandes changed course and decided to try to kill the law created in 2010 authorizing counties and cities to install the traffic cameras.</p><p>He has filed Senate Bill 144, which would repeal the law. State Rep. Frank Artiles, R-Miami, is expected to file a companion bill in the House.</p><p>“We have had red light cameras in Florida for over three years. They were initially sold as safety devices, but I have come to firmly believe that they are now being used as backdoor tax increases,” Brandes said in a statement. “We have seen municipalities that have installed these devices shorten yellow light times and set arbitrary standards on right-turn-on-red violations. I believe cities will continue to install these devices if left unchecked.”</p><p>Lawmakers made several changes in the existing red-light camera law this year. Since July 1, the modified law precludes motorists from being cited for a right-turn violation if they stop — even if it is beyond the stop line.</p><p>Another provision gives motorists more time to deal with the initial notice of violation, increasing it to 60 days from 30 days. The law also requires cities and counties to create an administrative appeals process for motorists who contest the initial red-light camera violations.</p><p>Nevertheless, the devices remain controversial. More than 70 local governments, including the cities of Sarasota and Bradenton and Manatee County, use the devices and collected $46 million in revenue in the last full budget year.</p><p>Florida's red-light camera law is named after Mark Wandall, a Manatee County man killed when a motorist ran a red light in October 2003.</p><p>Melissa Wandall said she would fight any repeal effort. She said she would go to Tallahassee to support the law, contending the cameras have changed driving behavior and made intersections safer.</p><p>For five years, Wandall and then-state Rep. Ron Reagan, R-Bradenton, pushed the law authorizing the cameras, which allow local governments to ticket motorists photographed running red lights. Wandall said that in addition to trying to stop red-light runners, the legislation included provisions to assure a portion of the proceeds from tickets go toward trauma centers and for brain and spinal cord injury research.</p><p>More than $15 million from red light camera tickets has gone to hospital trauma centers and more than $3 million to the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.</p><p>Wandall said her goal was to make sure no family goes through what hers endured. “Somebody did have to die to have those cameras to be installed,” Wandall said.</p><p><i>Lloyd Dunkelberger contributed to this report.</i></p>